The Mystery Writer's Kouhai
by Sgamer82
Summary: Written for Poirot Cafe's Prompt Exchange #12: A conversation(s) between two mystery writers, Yusaku Kudo and Kaori Shinmei. (ONE-SHOT)


For reference, Kaori Shinmei was featured in an arc in which her author father had gone missing and Kogoro was hired to help find him. The case ends with Kaori taking up his work after his passing.

* * *

 ** _Detective Conan_**  
 ** _The Mystery Writer's Kouhai_**  
by  
sgamer82

"A bit overwhelming, isn't it, Shinmei-sensei?"

Kaori Shinmei nearly leapt out of her skin at the sudden voice at her side. Kaori was so startled was it took her a moment to realize the voice had addressed her in Japanese. She turned to find a middle aged Japanese man in glasses, sporting a small mustache.

"Yes, just a bit," Kaori said as she recovered. "I've been to a couple of these literary award shows at home, but this is my first one overseas."

"I think you'll find these gatherings are about the same everywhere you go," the man told her. "It's almost a relief when they're in another country since you can pretend to not know the language and still be polite."

Despite herself, the woman laughed.

"Yusaku Kudo," the man said in introduction.

"The Night Baron," Kaori said. "I'm a fan."

"And I of Detective Samonji." Yusaku grinned.

"I'm honored."

"I'm curious," Kudo said once they had shaken hands, "has it been difficult, picking up from where your father left off?"

"In some ways," Kaori admitted. "It can be difficult writing in the way my father did while maintaining my own voice. It's been a balancing act."

"One you've handled well, going by reviews."

"Introducing my own characters helps," Kaori said. "They've let me 'bridge the gap' a bit and have become quite popular in their own right, too. Especially Doi-kun."

"The little boy in the glasses?" Yusaku asked, his expression going from grin to smile.

"That's the one," Kaori said, herself smiling at the recognition. "He's become popular enough that I've begun to consider spinning him off into his own series of childrens' mystery stories. The problem I'm having is that I need some way to balance him out. His defining trait is a certain smug intellect."

"That's definitely true," Yusaku muttered.

"Hm?" Kaori said.

"Nothing. Go on."

"The adult characters like Samonji can pull him back when he gets in over his head but, were he a protagonist, that would kill the tension. Even a childrens' story still needs to be a good story. On the other hand, he might come off as too arrogant without characters like Samonji to mitigate him."

"The simplest solution would be someone in his peer group to act as a foil," Kudo suggested.

"I agree," Kaori said. "The issue then becomes what kind of foil. He's too young to have a rival detective matching wits with him to work, a simple fool who can see things Doi might miss due to overthinking might exacerbate the problem... I've thought what I need is a character who's just as intelligent but in a different way. I haven't decided what would work best yet."

"Have you tried visiting Conan-kun?" Kudo asked.

"How did you-" Kaori asked in surprise. She stopped herself as she got a fresh look at Yusaku Kudo's face. "Are you related?"

Kudo nodded.

"Admittedly, I can't remember the precise relationship, my wife is better at remembering that kind of thing. My son and Kogoro Mouri's daughter have also been friends since they were children, so the similarities between them and your characters stood out to me."

Kaori nodded as Kudo continued.

"For Doi, I think getting a look at Conan-kun's life, his friends and classmates might help. Nothing like researching the subject to ensure your accuracy."

"True," Kaori said. "I'll have to consider that when I return to Japan."

"Indeed," Kudo said. "In the meantime, would you like to join me for a drink at the bar?"

"I wouldn't be opposed," Kaori replied. "But..."

"My wife is standing right behind me?"

"For about the last minute, yes."

"I see." Kudo did not turn around. "On a scale of one to ten, how annoyed does she look?"

"Hm..." Kaori said. "A four, maybe?"

"But with room to upgrade to five if that drink offer isn't taken off the table," said the long haired woman who had been standing behind Yusaku Kudo.

"Um... for what it's worth, Kudo-san-"

"Oh, I know," Yukiko Kudo said airily. "Nothing was happening. You, Shinmei-sensei, were the soul of politeness. I simply know that this 'Sensei' is less prone to being so if he gets the chance."

Yusaku Kudo gave a strained laugh at Yukiko's remark.

"Now, now, Yukiko. Nothing like that was happening. I was simply helping Shinmei-sensei with some character ideas. She was thinking of spinning off her little boy detective character into his own series."

"Little boy- oh!" Yukiko's face lit up suddenly. "The one based on Shi- I mean, Conan-chan?"

"That's the one," Yusaku said quickly, before Kaori could focus too much on his wife's sudden swap of words. "We were thinking of what kind of characters should be in his cast."

"He should have a little girlfriend!" Yukiko exclaimed immediately. "Just like Shin-chan and Ran-chan. Or how Ayumi-chan adores Conan-chan. It'd be so cute."

"I don't disagree," Kaori said, smiling. "But I'm not sure how necessary that would be in a book for grade schoolers."

"Never underestimate the power of a love interest," Yukiko said.

"We were thinking more in terms of a foil than a love interest," Yusaku told his wife.

"Ah, so more Ai-chan than Ayumi-chan, then."

"Ai-chan?" Kaori asked.

"One of Conan-chan's classmates," Yukiko replied. "Not a detective, but every bit as smart as he is."

"Hm..." Kaori muttered as ideas began to form. "I think Kudo-sensei is right, I'll definitely need to talk to Conan-kun and his friends when I get back to Japan."

"Why wait?" Yukiko asked. "Yu-chan and I are in Japan often enough, and we're close to Conan-chan. I'm sure we could give you enough to work with."

A smile was spread on Yukiko's face that Kaori could only describe as "mischievous". She looked to Yusaku and saw he was trying hard to keep a similar expression off his face. Kaori wasn't sure what to make of that, but the inspiration sparked by her conversation with the Kudos was keeping her from pondering it too deeply.

"How about we meet tomorrow, then?" Kaori suggested, to which they agreed.

* * *

So it was that, much later, the debut book of the Grade School Detective Doi-Kun hit Japanese bookshelves. The book, with Doi and his friends solving mysteries as would-be detectives, was a big hit almost immediately. Even in Conan Edogawa's own class 1-B, everyone was reading it. Conan had gotten plenty of grief about the similarities between the little know it all main character and himself. None of his classmates seemed to spot the connection between the other two boys and one of the girls and their similarities to Ayumi Yoshida, Genta Kojima, and Mitsuhiko Tsubaraya.

Almost none of them.

Ai Haibara plopped the book in front of Conan. It was opened to a page introducing the fifth member of Doi-kun's group. A little girl prodigy who consistently kept Doi on his toes.

"I don't know how this happened," she told Conan. "But I'm almost certain it's your fault."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** The little boy character is never named in series that I know of, but given where Conan gets his name, a name based on Doyle just seemed right.


End file.
